Voice cast

• Tom Kenny: SpongeBob SquarePants, Gary the Snail, Mr. SquarePants, French Narrator, Patchy the Pirate (live-action performance), miscellaneous characters
• Bill Fagerbakke: Patrick Star
• Rodger Bumpass: Squidward Tentacles, Dr. Gill Gilliam
• Clancy Brown: Mr. Krabs
• Carolyn Lawrence: Sandy Cheeks
• Mr. Lawrence: Plankton, Larry the Lobster, miscellaneous characters
• Jill Talley: Karen
• Lori Alan: Pearl Krabs
• Mary Jo Catlett: Mrs. Puff
• Brian Doyle-Murray: The Flying Dutchman
• Ernest Borgnine: Mermaid Man
• Tim Conway: Barnacle Boy
• Sirena Irwin: Mrs. SquarePants, Mama Krabs ("Enemy-in-Law," "Friend or Foe," "Spongicus")
• Dee Bradley Baker: Squilliam Fancyson, miscellaneous characters
• Frank Welker: Talking Gorilla ("I Had an Accident"), animal vocal effects
• Paul Tibbitt: Mama Krabs ("Sailor Mouth," "Mid-Life Crustacean"), Potty the Parrot (2007-present)
• Stephen Hillenburg: Potty the Parrot (2000-2004)

Setting

Much of the series' events take place in Bikini Bottom, an underwater city located a mile off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, beneath the real life tropical isle of Bikini Atoll. Stephen Hillenburg has stated that much of Bikini Bottom was based on the real life city of Seattle. Much of this is supported within the context of the episodes themselves; however, despite implications of the city's location as well as anologies to real life, Hillenburg has stated that he wishes to leave the city isolated from the real world, explaining the Baywatch parody scene from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie as simply a reference to his favorite show of all time. Being located underwater, much of the city's populace, like that of the rest of the series, consists mostly of various sea life; however, in many episodes, the laws of physics are violated for comedic value. The citizens of Bikini Bottom live in mostly aquatic-themed buildings, and use "boatmobiles", an amalgamation of cars and boats, as a mode of transportation.